The Oilers’ first preseason game wasn’t an easy one to watch – the Oilers site was both choppy and at first declined to allow many of those trying to watch the game – but it did feature actual NHL’ers and the quality of play was a significant step up from that at the rookie tournament in Penticton.

What follows are overall impressions of the players who skated with the Oilers versus the Wild at Rexall place last night.

Hall – Belanger – Jones: Taylor Hall may have been the best player on the ice for either team tonight, notwithstanding his late-game high stick that led to Minnesota’s power play winner. He was certainly the most creative Oiler offensively, at times playing a power game and other times showcasing his puck skills. It was a very strong game for him. Eric Belanger went 64% in 25 attempts and looked like a seasoned professional for the most part; he had something of a vanilla game but avoided egregious errors. On the other wing, Ryan Jones was noticeable both for good and bad. On the good side, he drew a penalty and played a physical north-south style game. On the bad side, he looked entirely clueless on Minnesota’s power play goal – standing still in the center of the defensive zone while a goal coalesced around him, turned over the puck a couple of times, and took a tripping penalty.

Paajarvi – Lander – Omark: The three Swedes combined to form the Oilers’ best line for most of the night. Paajarvi and Omark combined several times to form a strong cycle in the offensive zone, while Omark in particular played an aggressive net-crashing game. Lander led the team with five shots and the line as a whole combined to score twice – and in each case, every member of the line contributed something to the eventual goal. They showed great and immediate chemistry, and if the Oilers had slightly fewer candidates at center… well, based on a single preseason game the line looked like it might have a future.

Tyrvainen – Pitlick – Keller: Tyrvainen lived up to his advance billing as a man in the mould of Esa Tikkanen; he played a greasy, disruptive game, and notably pasted former Oiler Kyle Brodziak at center ice. The production crew loved the hit so much that they were still showing it when Tyrvainen scored on a rebound moments later. His skill level leaves something to be desired and he’s a little bit chaotic, but even so it’s easy to see what he brings. Equally visible was Tyler Pitlick’s talent; I thought he looked polished defensively but rusty offensively in Penticton but tonight he was in fine form at both ends of the ice, directing the puck at net eight times and winning a few battles. Ryan Keller also looked quite good, although he is a long-time veteran of the AHL and Europe so perhaps that isn’t surprising.

Hordichuk – House – Abney: It may have been the linemates or it may have been the choppy internet feed, but I didn’t notice House much tonight; he stood out once when he didn’t convert on a point blank opportunity but other than that played a limited role. Speaking of ‘limited role,’ Abney and Hordichuk both know what they are and carried out their shared assignment, with Hordichuk engaging Matt Kassian in the first and Abney coming to the defense of Taylor Fedun later on. Hordichuk was credited with six hits and finished his checks – even when the puck was long gone by the time he arrived.

Barker – Gilbert: The veteran pairing generally looked like a veteran pairing on the night. Barker took a team-high 30 shifts and showed off both passing skills and a heavy shot. He also refused to quit on the play – after giving the puck away in the offensive zone he pursued the Wild player and it led to a chance for the Oilers. Gilbert was his usual self; he picked up one minus on a long-range shot that eluded Khabibulin, and another one when Martin Marincin left him to face a 2-on-1 and Khabibulin couldn’t handle the shooter after Gilbert blocked the passing lane. Overall, this pairing was the only reliable one the Oilers’ iced.

Marincin – Tulupov: Marincin was mentioned above after leaving Gilbert to face a 2-on-1 alone, and frankly he had a fairly chaotic night in his own end – the skill is obvious but the polish is lacking. He’s got a decent shot and picked up an assist with a big shot on Lander’s goal. Tulupov once again played a physical game, including a hit on Pierre-Marc Bouchard that got under the skin of the Wild, but looked a little raw.

Musil – Fedun: David Musil looked out of his depth, especially early on, and clearly needs more seasoning. Taylor Fedun looked considerably further along in his development, and was the one calming presence aside from the Gilbert/Barker pairing; it was his point shot that led to Tyrvainen’s goal. Unfortunately, Fedun was also the victim on a blatant hit from behind courtesy of Darroll Powe in the third period, and he did not return to the game – he should be okay though, as it seems he suffered a contusion from his visor rather than something more serious.

Khabibulin – Bunz: Nikolai Khabibulin looked as good this evening as he did midway through last season – not so good, in other words. Any of the goals against, on their own, wouldn’t have constituted a poor evening, but three against on 10 shots is laying things on a little thick even for the preseason. Still, perhaps the rust is to be expected – Khabibulin’s had a difficult summer, and hopefully he can work out the kinks before the games really matter. For his part, Tyler Bunz had a quieter start than Khabibulin, but was equal to the task when tested and did a great job of both controlling and preventing rebounds. The lone goal against was a long shot through multiple screens, and it’s tough to fault him for being beaten; he looked every bit as good here as he did in Penticton.

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